Here Is Where the Rubber Meets the Road

I do not mind the Mets losing. Every team hits a bad streak once in while, but the way they have lost is horrible. In the last seven games, the Mets are 1-6 and have been outscored 37-16. There are a lot of minor problems with this team that are adding up to be one large problem. One of the solutions one of the problems that some have called for was Brian Daubach being called up after tearing up AAA. He is a different face, so that is good, but what can be realistically expected of him is a big question. One thing that is clear is that he should be in the lineup tonight to see what he can do and Marlon Anderson should resume his spot on the bench. Having him DH is embarrassing. I'm sure he is a nice guy, but it is embarrassing.

The Mets are now 6.5 games out in a tight division race and now would be the time to wake up from this funk. If this team falls to 10 games out, you can be sure that this season is officially a wash. 6.5 games is not insurmountable either. A hot streak can significantly close the gap, but who thinks the Mets have a hot steak in them with the way they are playing? The lineup last night featured six players who are hitting .261 or under as starter. I'm not sure you will win many games this way. The Mets need to wake up from this offensive funk and need to wake up soon.

And what is Willie's problem. I feel like woman because I've repeated myself a hundred times in a nagging, complaining manner, but why is Marlon Anderson still batting in front of David Wright? It is indefensible. Randolph has shown me nothing yet and whatever games the Mets have won are in spite of him. I've never seen a person so unable to adapt to his situation and make the necessary adjustments. His stubbornness to do the right thing is infuriating.

Let's get this straighten out. Marlon Anderson as a pinch hitter is good. His .433/.500/.533 is a Major League best from a pinch hitter. Marlon Anderson batting sixth, is bad. As a starter, he has posted a .237/.282/.289 line in 38 at bats. Last night, Marlon Anderson coming up to the plate with Cliff Floyd and Mike Piazza on base and David Wright on deck with two outs was the last straw. Sure enough, Anderson made and out and Wright doubled in the next at bat. Would he have doubled in that at bat? Who knows, but I'll take my chances with him over Marlon and his three XBHs to drive them in. Credibility for Willie is a zero right now with me. The lineup is wrong, his use of the bullpen is blatant, and Ishii should be out of the rotation.

The Mets are where they are because of bad clutch hitting and Willie Randolph.

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Randy Johnson’s allergic reaction to cameras continues:

Yesterday, while having lunch with Opie and Tyson Walter of the Dallas Cowboys, our li'l pal Jim Norton spotted New York Yankees pitcher Randy Johnson walking along 57th street in Midtown Manhattan.

Jim sprung to his feet, camera in-hand, and chased Randy down for a photo. The blow-off that followed Jim's innocent request was a crushing blow to say the least. Jim managed to snap a few shots of Mr. Johnson as he walked away...and we have them for your photoshopping goodness.

While I could see a player not wanting to stop to take pictures with tons of people, Randy does not exactly have a good track record.



After hearing about how Carlos Beltran is not NY guy and whomever else the Mets sign, not much has been made about Randy Johnson being a horrible NY guy.

Willie makes some lineup moves and Cameron will be leading off with Jose Reyes batting second. Is this a big difference? Absolutely. This move is long overdue and Jose Reyes profiles better in the second slot. There is a trickle down theory with getting the leadoff guy on base that helps everyone, and the free swinging Reyes will be helped as well with a fast guy on base like Cameron.

Mark Hale from the NYPost poses a bad question:

Switching them does make sense statistically, but it's still a bit odd, primarily because Reyes, who just turned 22, figures to be the Mets' leadoff man for years. Taking him out of that element prompts the question of whether it could be detrimental to his development.

What? Why? How?

Willie made the first step in fixing this lineup, he needs to make a few more.

"I feel like I'm about to come out of it," Mientkiewicz said. "It's coming. No doubt in my mind. Good things are going to come. It's a complete 180 from how I felt in Atlanta."

Gaby Hernandez and Yusmeiro Petit gets some love from BA.

With a victory last night, Lexington could have essentially locked up the first-half title in the SAL Northern division. With Prospect Hot Sheet leader Troy Patton and his 31-innings scoreless streak on the hill, the Legends had to feel pretty confident. His counterpart for Hagerstown was right-hander Gaby Hernandez in what was, on paper, one of the better pitching match-ups in the SAL this season. The pitchers’ duel never materialized as the Suns’ Grant Psomas hit a solo homer in the second inning to end Patton’s streak, and suddenly Patton looked vulnerable. He gave up two more in fourth and three in the fifth in what was by far his worst outing of the season, as his ERA went rose from 0.98 to 1.57. Hernandez struck out seven over 6 1/3 as Hagerstown won 8-2 to cut the Legends lead to one game with four to play.

• Mets right-hander Yusmeiro Petit made his first start in three weeks last night, coming back from minor elbow tenderness and returning from his native Venezuela for personal reasons. Although he is still under a strict pitch count, Petit was effective over 2 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and striking out six.

Minor update:

• Charlotte beat Norfolk 9-5.
  
• Binghamton lost to New Hampshire 9-5. Matt Lindstrom got roughed up again giving up six earned runs in 1/3 of an inning for an ERA of 162. He gave up four hits and walked three. Ugly. Mike Jacobs went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and is batting .312.
  
• St. Lucie beat Daytona 7-2. Lastings Milledge went 1 for 5 with one run scored and Evan MacLane went nine innings, gave up four hits, two earned runs, two walks, and struck out five.
  
• Hagerstown had the night off, and with three of the four Mets teams losing miserably, that might not have been such a bad thing.